NORTH HAMPTON — Two men were killed Monday morning when a Cessna 180 crashed into a stand of trees at the Hampton Airfield, according to North Hampton Fire Chief Dennis Cote.

By Morgan Palmermpalmer@fosters.com

NORTH HAMPTON — Two men were killed Monday morning when a Cessna 180 crashed into a stand of trees at the Hampton Airfield, according to North Hampton Fire Chief Dennis Cote.

Monday evening Seacoastonline.com identified the two men as pilot David Ingalls and his passenger, Bruce Anderson, both of Kingston.

Around 10:50 a.m., the plane was taking off when it suddenly veered left and came down into a clump of trees nearby, Cote said.

He said he did not know why the airplane veered.

“We're not going to speculate anything right now,” he said.

Witness Bob Lamothe said it appeared to be a normal takeoff until the airplane's nose pitched up, causing the plane to lose airspeed and lift before it rolled over and fell to the ground.

“It was an amazing thing to see how quickly a plane can drop out of the sky,” Lamothe said.

The plane was not participating in the airfield's Labor Day “flour bomb drop,” a charity event competition going on at the same time in which participants pass over the runway and drop small sacks of flour over a target.

Lamothe, of Hampton, was part of a group that gathered at the Airfield Cafe in anticipation of the flour drop. Conditions were perfect, with good visibility, sunny skies and little wind, as they awaited the start of the event, he said.

The plane crashed about a football field's length from the cafe, and many patrons ran to help. The plane's cockpit was “completely crushed” by the impact and only the plane's tail was intact, Lamothe said.

Cote also stated he did not believe the aircraft was associated with the airfield, and that to his knowledge, the Cessna 180 was stopping to refuel.

Hampton Airfield is located on Lafayette Road in North Hampton. The Airfield Cafe is a restaurant where guests can watch airplanes take off while they eat.

There were approximately 150 people at the airfield at the time of the crash, Cote said. He said he believed there was a guest appreciation barbecue starting at the time of the crash.

Bruce Frans, a pilot from Manchester, was at the airfield to watch the flour drop event. Although Frans did not witness the crash, he felt a deep connection to the deceased.

“It's sad when it happens,” he said. “Those guys probably came over to enjoy themselves and now their families have to deal with this. We're all like a brotherhood of pilots.”

No additional information will be released until the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigate.